Archive for the 'Nathan Guertler' Tag Under 'USC' Category

Senior offensive lineman Aundrey Walker has yet to play this season while recovering from an ankle injury. That could change Saturday.

USC coach Steve Sarkisian said Walker “potentially” could platoon at right tackle against Oregon State after two strong weeks of practice.

Walker “has really started to turn the corner a bit, which is encouraging,” Sarkisian said.

Zach Banner has started the first three games, but Sarkisian has rotated players at several spots on the line, including right tackle. Walker conceivably would take Nathan Guertler’s spot as Banner’s sub.

Sarkisian said earlier this season that Walker wasn’t in the right frame of mind to play. Doctors had cleared him to return, but he struggled to play through lingering pain from a broken left ankle suffered against UCLA in the 2013 regular-season finale.

Given the unit’s inexperience, USC has every reason to be pleased with the play of its offensive line so far – and every reason to believe the group will improve significantly as this season progresses.

The Trojans have seen multiple fronts in their first two games. Fresno State threw a lot of “zone-pressure” looks at USC, according to offensive line coach Tim Drevno. He described Stanford’s style as “knock-you-back.”

USC’s line – with only one senior, former walk-on Nathan Guertler, in the regular rotation – handled both with varying degrees of success. Seeing so much so early will help the unit later in the season.

“When you see different, multiple types of defenses, it’s just going to make you better as a player, better as a team, better as a coach,” Drevno said. “You’re covering all the different things. As you move on in the season, it becomes recall.”

These initial experiences should be especially beneficial for freshman guards Toa Lobendahn, Damien Mama and Viane Talamaivao. Coach Steve Sarkisian suggested this week that USC hasn’t completely opened its playbook so as not to overwhelm the rookies.

* Freshman Adoree' Jackson, who has been out becuase of a foot injury, was a full participant, returning kicks and working with the second-team defense at cornerback.

* More good news on the injury front: Defensive end Leonard Williams was back in pads for the first time since hurting his left shoulder. Williams wasn't a full participant, but he's close. He might play in Monday night's full-pads scrimmage.

* Nose tackle Antwaun Woods is making good progress with his hyperextended elbow. He participated in the walk-through portion of the practice.

USC has an impressive array of skill-position playmakers. It has an improving, competent quarterback. It has a rapid-fire, 21st Century offensive system.

But none of that will matter unless the offensive line comes together. Finding the right pieces up front is the biggest personnel puzzle for Steve Sarkisian and his staff to solve in training camp, which begins Monday. (Yes, we now can cite the day instead of the date. Woo-hoo!)

The good news is that the Trojans appear to be set at the two most important positions with Max Tuerk at center and Chad Wheeler at left tackle. As for the rest, it’s something of a jumble.

USC has plenty of bodies, with 14 scholarship offensive linemen on the roster. They all have talent and size, or they wouldn’t be here. The variables are health and cohesiveness. The time frame to figure it all out is less than four weeks.

Toa Lobendahn, an early-enrollment freshman from La Habra High who turned 18 last month, took first-team reps at left guard for USC on Tuesday as the Trojans opened their second week of spring practice.

Lobendahn previously worked with the second team and also took reps at center.

''We came out of the first week thinking, 'This guy has a real chance,’’’ Coach Steve Sarkisian said. ''We’re not going to see if he can do it until we ask him to go in and block Antwaun Woods and the (first team).’’

As a freshman, Lobendahn is not yet allowed (by USC officials) to speak to reporters.

The line, for most of Tuesday’s practice, had Chad Wheeler and Nathan Guertler at tackle, Lobendahn and Khaliel Rodgers at guard and Max Tuerk at center.

For a second consecutive spring, Max Tuerk is USC’s first-team center.

It didn’t last long a year ago. Tuerk struggled mightily with snaps and, after just a couple weeks, was moved back to guard as Marcus Martin took over. Martin is gone, and now Tuerk, a junior, gets another chance.

It could be different this time. Tuerk said he feels more comfortable with shotgun snaps, in part because his longer-than-normal arms made it difficult to snap the ball with the quarterback directly behind him.

''I’ve just got a lot more confidence,'' Tuerk said. ''I’m picking up the offense pretty good.''

Tuerk has not been declared the starter though, as Toa Lobendahn, Giovanni Di Poalo and Khaliel Rodgers are also getting work at center.

Marqise Lee certainly didn’t run around Wednesday like a guy with a bum knee.

Lee, USC’s All-America receiver, participated in most of the no-pads practice, and afterward had his status upgraded to ``probable’’ for Friday’s game against Oregon State, according to interim coach Ed Orgeron.

Lee, who didn’t play last week against Utah because a sprained knee, didn’t practice on Monday or Tuesday and had been listed as ``questionable.’’ In more good news for USC’s offense, starting tight end Xavier Grimble (sprained ankle) also had his game status upgraded from questionable to probable.

Last week against Utah, USC had only three scholarship receivers and zero scholarship tight ends available. Nathan Guertler, a walk-on offensive lineman, started at tight end but didn’t catch a pass.

It’s been a rough month for Lee, who hurt his knee Sept. 28 against Arizona State. He missed the following week’s game against Arizona and attempted to return Oct. 19 against Notre Dame, but reinjured the knee.

USC coach Lane Kiffin will not discuss injuries this season, and his players aren't supposed to either. So we don't know for sure what caused middle linebacker Lamar Dawson and left tackle Aundrey Walker to miss large chunks of practice Wednesday.

Dawson appeared to be favoring his left leg as he left the field, and Walker wasn't moving his right arm very much, the usual sign of a shoulder injury. We might know more when practices resumes this afternoon.

The absence of Dawson and Walker -- two sophomores expected to start at critical positions for the Trojans this season -- led to some discussion of long-range contingency plans should either be out for an extended period.

Freshman Scott Starr took over for Dawson on Wednesday and is listed second on the depth chart. But Kiffin said that if USC got into "desperation mode" -- i.e., Starr got hurt or wasn't quite ready to start -- outside linebacker Hayes Pullard would shift to the middle, with redshirt freshman Anthony Sarao sliding into Pullard's spot.